Labour MP hits out at pharmacies that refuse to sell emergency contraception

Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar says it is disappointing that some pharmacies are refusing to sell emergency contraception because of prejudice on the sexual lives of women

Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar
Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar

Pharmacies should put prejudice aside, and stop refusing to stock and sell emergency contraception, Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar said.

Posting to social media, Cutajar said that access to contraception was a basic right for everyone, including women.

She was referring to an exercise, carried out by sister paper Illum, which found that, of the 70 pharmacies with whom the newspaper inquired about the availability of the morning-after pill, 70%, said that they had it available for sale. The rest did not stock emergency contraception.

"This is a health issue, and it's disappointing that this still isn't the case because of prejudice about woman's sexual lives," Cutajar said.

Despite the emergency contraception being made available over the counter in 2016, some pharmacists still refuse to stock it over concerns that it is abortive.

The exercise found that 21 pharmacies, or 30%, did not stock and sell the emergency contraception.